Three Ways To Show You I Love You
by Saiyou-the-lover
Summary: Peace reins after Ganondorf's demise, but peace does not come so easily to a clueless Sheikah, and a love struck Hylian who just can't figure out how to express his feelings. 'There are three ways you can tell that I'm in love', Link said. SheikXLink SLAS
1. Prologue

Sheik lay on the ground, the broken remains of what was once the beautiful Hyrule Castle scattered around him. Fires and rubble faded in and out of his vision as his body began to fail him. He had a rather painful lump on his head, a few broken ribs, and more cuts than he cared to count, but as far as he was concerned, it had all been worth it.

It had been a hard battle, probably the hardest he had ever fought. It if hadn't been for his and Link's joint effort, he doubted they would have succeeded. A sense of pride filled him; it was finally over.

They had won.

They had saved Hyrule, Ganondorf was gone. He would have laughed in elation had one of his broken ribs not been pressing painfully into his lung. His sense of joy, however, was quickly pushed from his mind as his eyes gazed over the scene before him. A blood soaked Link; still impeccably handsome and perfect even when covered in all the gore and dirt, was helping Zelda to her feet. He checked that she was alright, his hands on her shoulders, searching for any wounds she may have suffered.

To anyone else, it would seem like a harmless scene, heart warming even. But to Sheik, it seemed as if someone had taken Link's Megaton hammer and slammed it into his stomach. Well, that would probably prove fatal, but it would have the same effect on his breathing. Seeing the love of your life care for someone else could do that.

Sheik had been attracted to Link the moment the shining hero emerged from the Temple of Time, yawning, yet still somehow managing to look like the semblance of a Greek god. He had flashed one of those dazzling smiles, and Sheik had been lost. Had Sheik been attracted to women in the first place, things may have worked out differently. However, Sheik mused, he probably wouldn't have stood a chance against Link's charms anyway.

Link seemed to charm everyone around him. Not only did he have the most amazing body Sheik had ever seen, but he also had a courageous, caring personality that everyone loved. It didn't matter who you were, if you were in trouble, you would find the Hero of Time coming to your aid.

He was amazingly brave, to the point where Sheik thought it almost ridiculous how many dark caverns and slime filled holes the hero had plunged into without a second thought. At first, Sheik had thought Link was just all brawn and no brain, not looking where he was going, charging on blindly ahead. But the hero had a very calculated fighting method, and Sheik had seen him solve puzzles that some of the greatest minds in Hyrule would have had trouble figuring out.

No, Link wasn't dense, just incredibly brave and fueled by an alarmingly large sense of justice. But the most endearing thing about the hero of time, Sheik mused, was that he still acted like, and had the mind of, a child. He had awoken to find seven years of his life gone, and had somehow acted with the maturity level of someone who had actually lived through those seven years.

Everything about the Hero of Time had Sheik in awe.

The Sheikah's thoughts were cut short as he noticed it was becoming increasingly harder to breathe. Though his body had gone slightly numb at this point, he could still feel his broken rib pressing into his lung. It wasn't enough force to rupture, but it did make breathing much harder than it should have been.

With a grunt and gasp of pain, he rolled off of his stomach onto his back in order to allow more oxygen flow. Link and Zelda must have heard, because a second later he heard Link shout his name in panic, and strong arms began to lift him off the ground. He hissed slightly as the new position in Link's arms caused the bone to press in further, but he found he didn't care as much as he should have, being more focused on the feeling of Link's strong arms supporting his upper body.

Exhausted, he leaned his head onto the Hero's shoulder, knowing he wouldn't mind. He and Link had been through a lot together throughout the journey. But despite how close they had gotten, Sheik knew it was a different experience for both of them.

He heard Zelda mumble something about his rib, to which Link's arms seemed to slacken a little. Sheik's eyes narrowed. He loved Zelda like a sister, and as a best friend. But he couldn't help the jealousy burning in the pit of his stomach. It was obvious Link and Zelda were meant to be together, and he hated how it caused Link to slip away from him. They would get married and have a beautiful blond, blue-eyed ceremony and have beautiful blond, blue-eyes children and everyone in Hyrule would be blissfully happy.

Sheik wanted to puke.

It didn't help that bile had begun to rise in his throat anyway. He realized off-handedly that his hearing had become muffled a while ago, and he noticed in confusion that Link seemed to be in hysterics, and a rumpled Zelda tried to calm him down while checking all of Sheik's vital signs.

Through all the clamor and the steadily increasing ringing in his head, Sheik could only hear a little of what they were saying.

"…_if I had known…careful…sooner_…_dying_"

Sheik's eyes widened, realizing Link was mistaking his state of near-unconsciousness for his dying moments. He would have laughed had he had more oxygen to spare. Hoping to convey to Link that he was fine, he grasped a bigger, gauntlet-clad hand in his own, and clasped it tightly. He angled his face up to look at Link, and stopped short, his crimson eyes widening at they took in the fear and despair in Link's cerulean gaze. He didn't think he had ever seen the Hero of Time so scared. Sheik found it even harder to breath all of a sudden, and this time it had nothing to do with his ribs.

After the rather difficult task of wrenching his gaze away from Link's, he could think coherently enough to know that he had to ease Link's fears. Luckily, Zelda began to use her magic to heal his rib. As he felt the pain steadily seep out of his body, he sighed in relief, and grasped Link's hand harder in reassurance. Link had an odd look in his gaze, and Sheik found it hard to look away yet again. He felt the slight cracking in his chest cavity as his ribs began to rearrange into the proper place, and Link's relieved gaze was the last think he saw before slipping into an exhausted sleep.


	2. Three Signs

Blades of grass were covered in a rainbow of colors as the light beat through the multi-colored facets of the stained-glass windows. An elegant foot, clad in blue, appeared red as the light danced across the ground. Gentle harp music permeated the still air, adding to the already serene feeling that hovered around the small castle courtyard. The last surviving Sheikah warrior lay situated on the stone steps leading to a solitary window, where the Hero of Time and the Princess of Hyrule had first met.

His thin fingers danced across the taught strings with ease, playing the melody they knew by heart. Thanks to the careful ministrations of Zelda, and even more careful watch by Link, the wounds had been healed for a few days now. All the physical wounds anyway.

The usually stoic Sheikah had been even more distant from everyone lately. Talking less than usual and spending most of his free time in the palace gardens, alone. A certain Hylian swordsman had noticed this, having been watching over the wounded man almost obsessively. The music in the grotto halted as soon as said swordsman walked into the grove, his face yielding an apologetic smile.

"Something told me I'd find you here."

Sheik yielded a small smile of his own beneath the mask, knowing it was a welcome sight to his best friend, after so many failed attempts to cheer him up. Sheik knew he was worrying Link, but he just couldn't shake the feeling of jealousy whenever Link and Zelda were so much as in the same room. Now that Link and he were alone, he suddenly found it easier to smile.

The green-clad warrior sauntered over and sat next to Sheik and down a few steps, a smile now plastered on his own lips. Despite the beauty of the clearing, at that moment, Sheik couldn't imagine anything more beautiful than that smile.

"It's good to see you smile again, I had begun to worry that you had accidentally drunk a poe or something." Link chuckled.

Sheik gave a small laugh himself, before looking towards the sky.

"Afraid not." Sheik joked, in a subdued manner.

"Good, they taste disgusting."

At Sheik's incredulous stare, Link's smile widened. Sheik sighed, knowing he had been worrying the hero, the guilt he felt at this knowledge eating at him. As Link's smile faltered, Sheik made an executive decision.

"You'll have to forgive me Link, I have not been in the best of spirits as of late, but I promise the reasons for my morose behavior have nothing to do with poes." He tacked a small smile on the end of his sentence, hoping to alleviate some of the worry seeping into Link's gaze.

"Then what is the reason?"

Sheik looked cautiously at Link from the corner of his eye. He hoped anything he said wouldn't give his feelings away. That, he was not ready to risk.

"You don't have to worry, I'll get over it soon enough." Link frowned at that, before taking Sheik's hand in his. Sheik could feel his cheeks warming slightly.

"Sheik, whatever it is, you know that you can tell me. I want to help." Sheik felt a multitude of emotions at Link's words. Seeing the strong sadness in Link's gaze made him feel like scum, and he knew he would have to give some explanation. Embarrassment or no, he couldn't stand seeing Link so distraught.

"Being the odd man out isn't something I strive for, Link."

Link's confused stare made Sheik role his crimson eyes. Despite everything he had been through, Link was still horribly naïve. Sheik found it rather endearing, though the point of his conversations could often be lost on the hero, such as right now.

"You and Zelda."

He stated as clearly as he could manage, but for all his effort, Link seemed even more perplexed than before.

"What about me and Zelda?" Sheik shot him an incredulous stare. Offhandedly, he noticed Link was still grasping his hand tightly. "I know you two are to be wed eventually, I guess I'm just not ready to let either of you go." His smile felt fake, even to him, though he tried to hold it on his face anyway. His pitiful smile faded, however, when Link's face shifted yet again. Sheik had not expected the anger radiating from Link at that moment.

"Zelda and I aren't getting married. What gave you that idea?" Sheik felt bewildered by all the passion in Link's voice. Had he offended Link somehow? He had only seen Link this mad a handful of times before. The angry man had begun to lean closer to Sheik, and though he doubted Link would ever hurt him, he didn't want to risk the well-being of his hand.

"You two just seemed as though you were in love, I thought it was inevitable." Sheik mused that the new emotions on Link's face would always surprise him, as the hero's expression softened. What he was feeling was too hard for Sheik to decipher, but he could have sworn he noticed sadness in the hero's gaze. The grasp around his hand loosened considerably, and Link gave the Sheikah a weary smile.

"I don't love Zelda. And I'm positive she doesn't love me either." Sheik gave Link an unsure look. By the expression on his face, Link seemed to be steeling himself for something.

"I can prove it." Sheik blinked, but nodded anyway, not knowing what to expect from Link now. "There are three ways to tell if I'm in love with someone." As he said this, he used his free hand to hold up three fingers. Sheik absently noticed that they had drawn closer to one another, for different reasons he was sure. "And what are those?" Link smiled, glad Sheik was playing along.

"One," He dropped the first finger, "if I _never_ touch them on their shoulder." Sheik gave Link a puzzled look, and the hero seemed more than happy to explain. "When I grew up with the Kokkiri, patting or touching someone on the shoulder was a sign of friendship. Touching someone anywhere else could be taken as a sign of something more." Sheik nodded, some cultures had customs such as those. "When I first came to Hyrule, I was surprised by how often people touched me on the arm or back, I thought everyone was coming onto me." Sheik chuckled, if only Link knew that most of those people most likely _were _hitting on him.

"Anyway, it's always just been second nature to me. If I love someone, I won't touch them on the shoulder." Sheik nodded. Try as he might, he couldn't stop his mind from trying to recall a time when Link had ever touched _him _on the shoulder. He couldn't think of one, but maybe he just hadn't paid enough careful attention during their journey. Though he doubted he wouldn't have realized if Link touched him, seeing as he took due note of any and all contact between them. He didn't have a chance to finish his analysis as Link's voice interrupted his mind's ramblings.

"Two," another finger down, "if I talk to them, I never avoid eye contact." Sheik nodded, actually understanding where this one came from. He had noticed Link didn't like to keep eye contact with people for too long. Most didn't notice, seeing as the hero masked it rather well; looking at what someone was talking about and nodding, or just appearing to contemplate what to do next. But Sheik knew better, he didn't think he had ever seen the hero keep eye contact more than a few seconds, unless he was fighting, and Sheik was sure the Hero of Time wasn't in love with any of the monsters they came across on their journeys.

…now there was a thought.

His shoulders shook slightly in a mixture of laughter and a shiver of disgust. Luckily, Link didn't seem to notice, and began to elaborate his previous point. "I don't know why, but I've never liked it when people look me in the eye. I'd much rather they just send me off on a mission and be done with it. If I can actually look them in the eye, it means I feel like I can trust them completely." As he was talking, his eyes seemed to bore into Sheik, and Sheik was finding it increasingly hard to breathe. Only one finger remained up on Link's hand now, and he dropped it slowly.

"Three."

Link's voice came out as a whisper, and Sheik felt himself shiver slightly from the sultry tone coming from the hero's throat. He found that he couldn't help but lean a little closer. Link seemed to be leaning as well, but he was probably just imagining it.

"If I give them this necklace." Link gently pulled a delicate looking necklace from underneath his tunic and chain mail. Sheik's eyes locked on the tiny necklace and widened marginally. It was a simple necklace, braided by some kind of thin string or cord, but it was obvious how much care and love had gone into making it. Looped through the string were a collection of small red and blue gems, each hand carved into a delicate looping pattern. Sheik tried to imagine how long it would take to carve the gems into such delicate sequences. It was a simple necklace and by no means a work of a professional, but to Sheik, it was the most beautiful piece of jewelry he had ever set his eyes on.

"When my mother left me with the Deku Tree, he said this was the only thing she left me. It was a necklace she had made for my father as a sign of her love for him before he died." Sheik nodded in sympathy, looking into Link's eyes that reminded him so much of the blue gems on the necklace. This necklace was the only thing linked to his mother that Link had left. "What's the string made out of?" Sheik wondered. It seemed to shine in the light like no other twine he had ever seen. "My mother braided it out of her hair," Link chuckled at the marveling look on Sheik's face. "It took her over a year to make it…"

Sheik couldn't seem to look away from the necklace, everything about it mesmerized him. The hair seemed new, not like it had already been worn for a generation. Link's words seemed to mirror Sheik's thoughts, "Because it's made out of hair, it can last much longer than a regular string, even metal since it doesn't rust…symbolizing that her love would last forever. If I ever give this to someone, for any reason, it would be the same as a proposal for marriage."

Sheik could feel his chest tightening; he wanted to be the one to be given that necklace. The silence in the tiny grove magnified as Sheik was caught in a sort of trance. He couldn't look away. The light shimmering off the gems and dancing over the carefully smooth braided string trapped his attention and wouldn't let go. Everything about the simple object was beautiful to him, even the calloused fingers holding it. The entire thing molded together in a show of beauty and radiance, as the beads of light shimmered off the entire thing seemed to make it glow.

But what he found most beautiful, were the deep blue and crimson gems. They reminded him so much of him and Link; opposites in everything, but oh so perfect for each other. He imagined someone had crafted his necklace with them in mind, and his breathing became halting and short. The small adornment seemed to be drawing closer, and through the fog that had encircled his mind in the moment, he seemed to be leaning towards it as well. It drew him towards it, taking him with it as it went. His back was aching from the stress of leaning down for so long, but his mind didn't even register on it, focused on just one thing.

Just as the necklace seemed close enough to slip over his head, his eyes snapped up towards Link. He was entranced again, but this time by the unbreakable gaze pinned on him. Link seemed to be unsure of something. Just as Sheik's mind awoke from the heavy fog and began to quickly calculate what was happening, a voice cut through the clearing, severing the moment as it went.

"Begging your pardon gentlemen, but the princess requires your presence." Sheik's head snapped towards the guard, who seemed taken aback by the two piercing gazes pointed in his direction. Decided it would be in his best interests not to talk anymore, he simply waited for them to follow, the silence once again permeating over everything, though this time less peaceful and more strained.

As the surprise of the situation died down, Sheik noticed just how fast his heart was racing. He looked over to Link, noticing with a pang of sadness that he had returned the necklace to inner folds of his tunic. As they both sat up and began to follow the soldier, Sheik couldn't help but sneak a glance at Link. He smiled beneath his cowl at the thought that Link had said all that just to cheer him up, he just hoped he hadn't looked to dumb staring at the necklace for so long.

He sighed to himself, and tried to calm his racing heart. Despite the fact that his mind was trying to analyze the situation as nothing more than a friendly gesture to cheer him up, his heart couldn't help but plant a hope inside him that the hero had aimed that wonderful speech at _him _somehow. He wanted to be the one Link touched, he wanted to be the one to experience the full effects of the hero's gaze, and more than anything, he wanted to be the one to receive that necklace.

---------------------

Sheik felt slightly peeved as they approached the throne chamber where they were to meet Zelda. As the princess came into view and saw the annoyance on his face, she sent him a questioning glance. He just shook his head. Link came up to stand next to him, clasping his hands behind his back in a sign of respect. Sheik smirked, as he bowed himself, even though the three of them were so close, the two male heroes still felt the need to show due respect when others were watching. As soon as the guards had left, however, he resumed his previous upright position and Link's arms relaxed and fell to his sides. Zelda sent them a fleeting smile.

"I apologize for the sudden summons, but urgent news has just reached me. A letter was intercepted by the Gerudo from a land beyond their borders, called Rael."  
Sheik nodded, having heard of it once or twice in passing. "Nothing has been confirmed, but there are hints of them amassing an army to attack Hyrule. Why they would do this, I do not know, but I can't take any chances. I would like both of you to travel to Rael, undetected, and scout out as much information as you can. If it seems they will attack, do your best to sabotage their plans, and report back to me."

Zelda's countenance softened. "Normally I would arrange a squad of soldiers to do the job, but I feel you two would be much more capable." She smiled at them lightly, and despite Sheik's annoyance from earlier, he felt a returning smile form on his lips. Link wore a smirk of his own.

"I think we can handle it." Link looked over to Sheik, who confirmed the thought with a nod. He looked back to Zelda, only to see her giving the pair of them an odd smile. He raised his eyebrows, and looked to Link. But the hero was just giving Zelda an odd shake of the head, and the smile on Zelda's face disappeared.

That was odd.

Whatever it was, he would get Link to tell him later. "I will go get my things." With that, the Sheikah left the chamber, heading to his own private room to prepare for the journey.

------------------------------

Link sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly.

"What happened Link?" Link cracked one eye open to look at the princess, who had by now walked down the steps to his position.

"Well, I said everything perfectly, just as I had planned it. He even reacted better than I thought he would." Zelda's brow furrowed, "Then what went wrong?" Link sighed again, his hand going up to scratch his head. "I had just shown him the necklace, and I was about to put it around his neck, and the guard came." Zelda's eye's closed and she brought a hand up to her face.

"I was so close!" Link cursed under his breath, kicking a nearby suit of armor. Neither of them even flinched as it clattered to the ground in pieces. "I'm sorry Link; I thought I had given you enough time." Zelda consoled, putting her hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner. His shoulders were tense, and he let out a bitter laugh. "It's not your fault; I should have had the guts to do this sooner." He clenched his fist, looking at the triforce of courage that glowed brightly through the gauntlet. "Some courage."

Zelda shook her head. "Link, those are two very different types of courage. This kind of courage is even harder to deal with than most people give it credit for. Everyone is scared to admit they love someone." Link nodded curtly, still not totally believing her words. "Link." He grudgingly looked at her. "Would you doubt my wisdom?" She smiled. He smiled back. "No, I wouldn't." She nodded in approval. "And I don't doubt your courage. Don't worry, you will have your chance soon enough."

He sighed again, looking back towards the doors the Sheikah had exited from. "I just don't see how much more obvious I can be with him. Even after all that, he still doesn't seem to get the message." He paused, his thoughts turning doubtful. "You don't think he knows, and is just trying to ignore it do you?" His voice held an edge of worry and sadness. Zelda firmly shook her head.

"No, you know Sheik better than that. He would never skirt around the truth. He would face you head on about it." Link nodded, that was certainly true about Sheik. "Besides," she drew his gaze to hers again with a delicately gloved hand, "I don't doubt your love could win anyone over. And I don't doubt that he loves you too." Link could never express in words how much her little pep talks cheered him up. She winked at him.

"And don't worry about the proposal; you'll have plenty of chances to tell him how much you love him during the trip." Her words were followed by a sly smile. Link swallowed, now intimidated by the prospect of traveling alone with Sheik. As good as Zelda was at calming him, she was just as good at bringing him back down to earth and reminding him of what had to be done, consequently making all the relief disappear in a few seconds.

She sent him one more fleeting smile, "You better go gather your things, Sheik is probably waiting out by the stables for you already." Link nodded, and they exchanged one last fleeting smile before the Hero of Time walked dejectedly from the throne chamber.

-----------------------

The sun was setting on the plains of Hyrule field as the two most skilled warriors of the land prepared for their upcoming journey. Sheik handed Link a rolled up sleeping mat, which the hero tied securely next to other various packs on Epona's saddle. Link was just strapping on the last item when Zelda approached them, looking all the more out of place as her elegant clothing contrasted with the simplicity of the surroundings. She nodded to them both in greeting, to which they both nodded back stiffly. The situation called for some propriety, and they all knew it.

"I wish you luck on your journey. I know you will not fail Hyrule."

They both nodded in a salutatory manner, and Link climbed up onto Epona. He didn't even have to time to offer Sheik his hand up, before the Sheikah was already situated behind him on the large horse's flank, one foot resting on her haunches and supporting his arm, the other dangling off the side. Link would have been skeptical had it been anyone else riding with him, but for Sheik, Link knew the precarious riding position wouldn't prove the least bit difficult.

Zelda smiled faintly at the sight, they did make a rather cute couple. She made sure to erase the smile before they turned towards her again, awaiting her last farewell. She was happy to oblige them.

"The journey will be wrought with many obstacles, be sure you keep to the shadows and remain undetected as long as possible. The fate of Hyrule could be decided on what happens next." The two statuesque warriors nodded, and Zelda was momentarily amazed that the two extraordinary men in front of her were her best friends. "Farewell, and good luck." With fire in their eyes and jaws firmly set, they turned away, Link angling Epona with pressure from his knees.

"Oh and boys," Their heads snapped back around as the moment was broken, their eyebrows lifting simultaneously in question. "Be careful." Zelda said it with a slight smile on her lips. The fire in their eyes was replaced with a soft warmth reserved only for the closest of friends, and they both nodded to her in promise.

Zelda assumed her regal pose, and sent Link one last glance loaded with meaning before the large horse turned once more. Link gave her a final, jerky nod, and looked away. The princess of Hyrule allowed her guards to escort her back to the town gate as the two men rode off on horseback towards the desert. She was glad the guards didn't hear her whispered words.

"Good luck Link."


	3. Two Quests

Link fidgeted slightly in the saddle. The heat from the desert had been beating down on them since they began their journey a few hours ago, and it was starting to get on the Hero of Time's nerves. Not only that, but Sheik had decided to sit further up on Epona, with his side pressed rather closely to Link's back. Link didn't mind the head resting on his shoulder, or even the lithe, muscular form rubbing against his back, but the red tint on his face spoke for itself. Hopefully if Sheik saw it he would just write it off as a tinge from the sun.

He had been wracking his mind the entire trip for another way to confess to Sheik, but so far, the hero was drawing a blank. The last idea he had thought up had taken him a few weeks to concoct, and that had worked just _splendidly. _The other few ideas he had thought up so far made him cringe; Link shuddered as he recalled the mental image of serenading the Sheikah. He could play the ocarina, but he couldn't sing to save his life. He wouldn't want to put the man he was in love with through that.

Sheik stirred slightly behind him, and Link stiffened, hoping he hadn't awoken the slumbering man. It was rare for Sheik to sleep on a journey, and Link wanted to let him rest. Link sighed as the slumbering warrior resettled himself, this time with his chest pressed against his back, his head still resting on Link's shoulder. Link's breath stopped as he was able to feel every contour of the Sheikah's well-toned stomach against his back. He turned his head slightly to look down at the blonde warrior, his blue eyes softening.

He couldn't imagine how such a beautiful man had come into being. To Link, Sheik was the ultimate example of beauty. Not a feminine beauty per-se, but a definite masculine beauty that drew all eyes to him. As if the warrior's impressive combat skills and physique weren't enough, he still wore the tightest piece of clothing known to man.

When Link wasn't distracted by the flexible, sinewy body fighting next to him, he was looking at the angular, yet still soft face hidden beneath the traditional Sheikah cowl. Link had only ever seen bits and pieces of Sheik's face, when he had gotten the occasional cut or scrape, but never all of it. He could tell the warrior was a handsome man beneath the mask, and the added mystery was driving him crazy.

Sheik's soft blond hair rubbed against his neck, and he was sorely tempted to reach back and stroke it. The Sheikah warrior's hair had always appeared unbelievably soft, and Link found his hand leaving Epona's mane, before realizing what he was doing and pulling it back. Link found it increasingly hard to concentrate on the path ahead of him as Sheik continued to breathe in and out, the warm air puffing against his neck. All he wanted to do at that moment was pull down the accursed cowl and ravish the lips he knew would be so soft.

The Hero of Time abruptly turned forward, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop himself if he continued to gaze at the tantalizing man leaning against him. As his eyes locked back onto the road, he noticed the desert had begun to break out into a small multitude of scattered shrubs. He gazed to the horizon and saw a layer of trees looming about a mile away.

With a relieved sigh, he added pressure to Epona's right side with his knee, steering her left in the direction of the distant foliage. He had never liked the idea of reigns, and Epona obviously agreed with him. The hollow sound of her hooves crunching through the sand was lost in the vastness of the desert. After a while of traveling, with Link doing his best to ignore Sheik's slight movements and sighs behind him, they reached the cover of the forest.

Link had thought the addition of trees to the scenery around him would help to distract him from the sensations Sheik was unconsciously making him feel, but the added cold of the forest landscape just served to make the man behind him huddle closer. Link sighed in frustration. Sure he loved every moment when he and Sheik touched, but the temptation to turn around and do more, he was sure, was irresponsible and irrational. He had no idea whether the other man reciprocated his feelings, but he didn't think he would appreciate being half-molested out of the blue.

The Hero's mind wasn't on the journey any longer, as it was dwelling solely on the tempting man behind him. He sighed; this was going to drive him crazy. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with the warrior now pressed practically flush against his back, and he didn't even have to courage to make a move while he was _sleeping._ If he could by any more in love with the Sheikah, he was sure his heart would burst. How could Zelda possibly have thought he would be prepared for this? Not just confessing his undying love to Sheik, but going into battle with his mind so preoccupied!

And he was indeed preoccupied, he noticed, when he hadn't even realized how tired he was until just that moment. His eyes felt heavy, and he had wondered when he had become so weary. His eyes drooped, and his head fell forward slightly, before he caught it and jerked it upwards. The ensuing whiplash was not at all pleasant.

"You seem tired; we should rest for the night."

Link jumped as the quiet words, so accustomed to the silence of his own thoughts. He turned his head to see two red irises looking up at him from their spot on his shoulder, and he swore his heart skipped a beat. Sheik obviously didn't mind the close proximity as much as the Hero of Time did, as he seemed perfectly comfortable with staying exactly as he was. Link's insides melted at the idea, and he almost didn't want to answer, just so Sheik would stay there a moment longer. His heavy lids, and a sudden yawn that tried to project itself out of his throat reminded him of how tired he was, and he nodded.

He shivered as Sheik slid off Epona and away from him, leaving his entire back feeling cold and chilled. He slid off of Epona as well, grabbing the sleeping mats as Sheik crept away into the darkness to get firewood. The journey would only take two more days, and after tomorrow, they wouldn't be allowed to light any more fires for fear of giving away their position.

By the time Sheik returned with a bundle of wood and branches nestled securely in his arms, Link had already laid out the bedrolls, and tended to Epona. The two soon had a comfortable fire blazing. Link glanced towards Sheik, who was now sitting next to the fire, simply staring into the embers, apparently with something on his mind. The orange glow of the fire danced softly over his face, and reflected off of his hair, mesmerizing Link. If he ever found the courage to confess his undying love to the Adonis in front of him, he would consider it a miracle. He mused that now would be the perfect time to say something, but it felt as if his jaw was wired shut.

The magic of the moment was broken as Sheik's eyes shifted to him, and Link had to resist the blush that fought its way onto his face at being discovered staring. "You look weary, you should sleep now Link. I will keep watch." Link nodded, all his courage for a confession drained away as he looked into Sheik's eyes. He crawled beneath the covers of the small bedroll, his consciousness slipping away almost as soon as his head fell upon the pillow. That night, he dreamed of red eyes, honey soft hair, and a beautiful face hidden by a mask.

--------------------

Sheik cursed himself in his head, not wanting to awaken the now slumbering Hero of Time. He felt ridiculous; what kind of warrior was he? He had nearly died of mortification when he awoke to find himself nearly wrapped around Link's form, pressed so tightly to his back he could feel the slight vibrations in his frame when he inhaled. Sheik had done his best to act like there was nothing out of the ordinary, but the glances Link had continued to cast him spoke volumes.

Sure, Sheik had slept better that day than he had in several years, but now Link would probably be uncomfortable around him for a while. Again he cursed his own stupidity. Stupid subconscious mind! He had simply fallen asleep with his head resting on the hero's shoulder, which was well within the boundaries of their friendship, but he doubted Link would take what had just happened as simply a gesture of friendship. He sighed, looking once again over to Link's form. As much as he had wished the incident hadn't happened, he had loved the feeling of being so close to Link.

It wasn't a fun feeling really, pining after someone you doubted would ever love you back. The Hero of Time had won a multitude of hearts already, be it for his bravery, his looks, or even just his title as the Hero of Time. But Sheik knew he would have never chosen anyone else to give his heart to. He knew this love was real; that it wasn't just a form of infatuation or hero worship. He loved Link because of his heart, because of who he was as a person. He didn't love him for his bravery or stunning physique, though they were both plusses in Sheik's mind, and he certainly didn't love him for his title.

He was at least glad he had gotten a good amount of sleep that day. He didn't think he had ever felt so alert when on watch duty before. Sighing, he settled in more comfortably, preparing for a long night.

---------------------

Sheik's eyes opened from his feigned slumber as he heard a twig snap sharply somewhere over to the left, further into the woods. He had been hearing slight sounds for a good few minutes, and he knew it was no furry woodland creature. Using the breaking undergrowth as a judge, he had mapped out where the so called predator now was. It was still several yards away from camp, but moving steadily closer. Judging by the volume of the noises, whoever it was would most likely not be a match for the trained Sheikah warrior. However, he wasn't taking any chances.

He slowly rose from his seated position on the ground, creeping on all fours over to Link's bedroll. He gently shook Link's shoulder, hoping the hero wouldn't make any noise when he woke up. When he didn't budge, Sheik removed his hand. Link was already awake, and knowing him, had been for a while. Sheik pulled out his small throwing knives, crouching for battle as Link quickly pulled on his boots. It was obvious to them both that there was more than just one assailant nearing their camp.

As Link drew his sword, crouching in preparation for battle, the forest suddenly went completely silent. The crackling of the now dwindling fire was the only noise that could be heard, echoing eerily between the trees. Sheik had only pinpointed where about three of them were in his mind, though he knew there were more. He kept his eyes on the areas he knew concealed their attackers. Everything was a blur after that.

Neither of the Hylian warriors expected the number of men that rushed forth from the foliage. A good twenty or so men emerged from the trees, leaping from above or rolling from the underbrush, red cloaks billowing behind then. An odd symbol was emblazoned upon their red tunics; something Sheik could only assume was a hammer of some kind. Sheik quickly crouched to the ground, knocking the first wave of them off their feet with one sweep of his foot. Sheik noted the enemy was rather clumsy as a few more tripped over the men struggling to get up off the ground. Link was holding his own rather well, he had managed to slash a good number down, and they were now giving him a wider birth, shying away from the dead bodies of their comrades lying on the ground.

They continued to stream from the forest, and Sheik realized they must have camped rather close to the enemy's army encampment. As he fought tirelessly against the wave of red-clad men, he suddenly felt a sting of pain in his left arm. He quickly glanced down to see a miniscule needle protruding from his bicep, noting the odd numbing sensation.

"Link! Darts!" He called out in warning. His left arm was quickly becoming useless, and he found it rather hard to fight off five men at once with just one arm. He jumped over the swing of one man's saber, twisting to the side to avoid another. Sheik grabbed the handle of the curved weapon as it flew past him, twisting it to the side. He heard a satisfying crack, and the man yelled out in pain, dropping the blade as he cradles his now broken arm. He looked over once more to Link, to see that three of the foreign warriors had anchored themselves to the Hero of Time's arms.

Sheik's momentary lapse of attention allowed a blow to slip past his defenses, and the butt of a weapon was rammed into the underside of his jaw. His teeth gnashed together, and he heard a distinct cracking noise ring through his head as pain laced through his jawbone. A fist buried itself in his gut, and Sheik had one last glance of Link being wrestled to the ground before a sound blow over the head knocked him into unconsciousness.

-----------------------

Link groaned as he awoke. His head pounded as blood flowed through his cranial wounds. He vaguely noted a pain in his wrists, and opened his eyes groggily. His slightly blurred vision took in the dank walls and wretched smell of a prison. Chain's and clasps hung on the walls, none set in any particular pattern. Link groaned, his mind finally coming into focus properly, and he looked up to see that the pain in his wrists was caused by restricting manacles binding him to the wall. His feet dangled about two feet above the slimy ground, his ankles also chained to the wall.

He began to panic as his mind recalled how he had gotten into this predicament, and he wondered what had happened to Sheik. A slight jingling over to his left caused his head to snap towards the noise, and he felt a sigh of relief escape as Sheik's slim form came into his vision. Sheik's crimson eyes looked towards him in silent apology at their predicament. Link didn't care about the situation; they would find a way out of it. What he was truly worried about was Sheik's safety. But the Sheikah warrior beat him to it.

"Are you alright Link?"

Link nodded, wincing slightly as the pounding in his head escalated due to his actions. "A little sore but otherwise fine. And you?" Sheik fidgeted slightly in his manacles as the rusted metal dug slightly into his skin. "The only injury I sustained was to my jaw, I don't think it's broken." Link nodded, glad Sheik was alright, and resumed his scrutiny of the dank chamber. "A fine mess we've gotten ourselves into."

Sheik grunted in agreement, "There was an enemy encampment near us; they must have seen our fire." Link nodded. He couldn't believe they had gotten caught, let alone so quickly. He had only ever been imprisoned about two times in his travels. Well, he mused, he could add a third mark on his record. "I guess that proves Zelda's suspicions about the amassing army then." Sheik grunted slightly, both in agreement and discomfort as the slightly-rusted manacles dug into his wrists.

"I see no other reason for such a large army encampment to be positioned so far away from their homeland." A thought occurred to Link, and his heart began to race at an uncomfortable pace. "How close to Hyrule were they positioned?" Sheik answered with a grave look, clearly already having calculated everything in his mind. "About three days hike, maybe four if they moved quickly enough; they did not have horses." Link began to panic slightly, "And how long have we been out?" Sheik looked through the bars of the door positioned in front of them, judging the time by the slight amount of light. "About half a day."

Link sighed in relief, though still on edge. At least they had a few days. They couldn't overtake the army, unless they ran full out, and even if they did, they would either be killed before they could warn Zelda, or the kingdom wouldn't have a chance to form a proper defense before the army got there. Sheik spoke up again, "They weren't moving for an attack when we came upon them. My guess is they're awaiting orders from their king before making a move. Our only choice at this point is to reach him, and force him to recall his forces before they begin their attack."

Link nodded, glad Sheik had been up and thinking about this for a while; his head hurt too much to formulate strategic plans. "Now we just need to figure out how to get out of this damned place."

"Leave it to me." Link raised an eyebrow at Sheik's words, but nodded nonetheless. Sheik has obviously already concocted what Link could only assume would be a rather intricate escape plan. He never doubted Sheik's plans; the man was a genius when it came to strategy. With that thought in mind, he kept his mouth shut as Sheik closed his eyes, and sat perfectly still. Link noticed Sheik's cowl moving slightly, and lifted an eyebrow. After a few minutes of this, Link stopped staring; realizing whatever Sheik was working on would take a while.

A good half hour passed, and Link looked up from his vain attempt to readjust the manacles on his wrists as he heard a door slam outside their cell, and lumbering footsteps began to make their way towards to two imprisoned heroes. Link quickly looked over to Sheik, ignoring the pain that began to creep back over his skin as his weight resettled on the rusty metal handcuffs. "Sheik!" he whispered in warning, when he received no answer, he tried again, "Sheik! Someone's coming!" Sheik's eyelids didn't so much as twitch, but his mouth stopped moving beneath the cowl, so Link assumed he had heard him.

His head whipped back around as the door squeaked open rather loudly, and a large behemoth of a man lumbered into the cell, keys jingling on his hip all the way. Link felt slightly repulsed looking at him, and the man didn't by any means look friendly. He pulled out a rather mean looking device; it was pointed, with a lower prong jutting out crookedly from the side. Link mused that it looked like a mutated fork with only two prongs on it; needless to say, he didn't want it anywhere near him. The large man walked right up to Link, pointing the odd object in his face.

"Think you can just barge in on us aye? Well, we aint as stupid as you might think." He spoke with a heavy slur, and Link noticed a foul odor on his breath. 'I don't know; coming to interrogate a prisoner drunk seems pretty stupid to me.' He didn't say this out loud of course; no use angering a drunken warrior who already seemed angered enough by his presence. The man's heavily lidded eyes switched over to Sheik, and began to strut over in his direction, "Hey! Wake up you good fer nothing"- But he never got to finish his sentence.

Sheik's red eyes snapped open, ablaze with anger and the challenge of battle. Link had seen that look many times, and it never failed to floor him…or, as close to the floor as he could get while chained a few feet off the wall. The guard had a split second to look surprised as Sheik kicked up with both of his legs, successfully breaking through the chains holding his ankles to the wall, before a heel lashed out and delivered a swift outward kick to his massive stomach. The force of the blow pushed the air from the drunken man's lungs while simultaneously twisting him around so his back was towards the Sheikah warrior.

The same muscular legs wrapped around the man's meaty neck, squeezing hard and flexing, effectively cutting off the man's dwindling air supply. The man was too shocked to at first react, and by the time his mind caught up with the situation, he was already losing consciousness. Sheik held him there for a few seconds, shaking from the output of so much energy into the task of keeping the windpipe closed, before the body sagged limply. As he fell, Sheik slipped one of his now free feet into the ring of keys, easily pulling them off the clip on the large belt and the guard's colossal weight pulled him to the grimy floor.

Using his other foot, Sheik flipped the keys around, using both his feet to hold the small metal object in place. Demonstrating amazing flexibility, the Sheikah warrior craned his legs above his head, using his feet to place the keys in the lock of the manacles. His legs were perfectly parallel to his body, and Link winced at the thought of trying to bend that way himself.

If the Hero of Time had one weakness, it was the effect Sheik had on him. And right then, Link couldn't look away. He didn't know why, but he found the positions the Sheikah could bend into rather erotic and right then, his mind was on anything but escaping. Sheik's defined muscles strained against the skin on the underside of his legs, and Link's blue gaze lingered on the firm muscles of Sheik's posterior before he blushed and looked away. Through all of this, Sheik continued his attempts at freedom.

He had difficulty finding the keyhole without being able to see it, and he had to try several different keys, but there was an eventual click, and the rusted device swung open. As he fell, Sheik thrust his now free hand out and snatched the keys from the air. He landed gracefully on the ground, looking oddly feline as his back arched slightly on impact.

Needless to say, Link was extremely turned on at this point.

Sheik unlatched the broken manacles that were still on his ankles, and then walked over to where Link was held. Link really hoped his excitement wasn't that obvious from his vantage point. Luckily for him, Sheik seemed rather focused on what he was doing, probably still acting upon his earlier adrenalin rush. "How did you break the chains?"

Sheik looked up from what he was doing, and Link shivered from the razor sharp look that still lingered in his gaze. He felt like Sheik's eyes could stab through a person and see into their soul, and yet he didn't look away. There were so many aspects of Sheik that still amazed the hero, even after traveling with him for so long. Sheik looked back down, focusing on the keys once more, "This entire place is coated in water, I simply used a spell that gradually changed the liquid into a rather potent acid." As he said this, Link eyed the burns and eaten away material where the Sheikah had been chained, marveling what he would go through to escape.

There was a click, and Link suddenly felt a draft of cold air on his sore, sweaty ankle. "I never knew you knew spells like that." Sheik shrugged, fitting the key into the other manacle and effectively liberating Link's other foot from its confines. "I hardly find purpose for such small spells, but they have their uses." Link nodded, even though he knew Sheik couldn't see the action, and flexed his now free legs.

There was so much he still didn't know about the warrior, and Link was surprised at how much this fact bothered him. The red eyed man then gauged the wall above Link, and before the Hero of Time knew what was happening, Sheik had jumped into the air. He sprang towards the wall opposite Link, rebounded off, and grabbed onto two hooks on either side of Link's head, anchoring himself to the slimey wall.

Link gulped at Sheik's close proximity; The Sheikah had positioned himself with his legs on either side of Link's hips, his feet bracing himself away from the wall. His torso was aligned with Link's, his face mere inches away from the now blushing Hero of Time. Link had trouble keeping his imagination in check. A myriad of mental images popped into his head, none of which were very innocent, and he found the blush on his cheeks deepening.

There were a few moments of Sheik shifting his weight, juggling the keys around in his grasp, before Link heard a telltale click above his head, and a slight moment of freefall. His landing was a little jerkier than Sheik's, but he still managed a sense of grace. He rubbed at his sore wrists, wincing as the blood began to circulate through his veins regularly again. He turned a grateful gaze to Sheik, who was likewise rubbing his wrists and ankles.

"Thanks." Sheik simply nodded in return, and stood to his full height. "We should hurry, who knows how many guards they had stationed." Link nodded, walking over to his gauntlets and shoes that had been haphazardly discarded into a corner; yet another testament to the guard's stupidity. The golden gauntlets slid onto his hands easily, the leather covering up the angry red and purple rings that now adorned his wrists.

"We'll need to find our way to the throne room, and be quick about it." Link grunted in agreement, pulling on his left boot. Sheik pocketed the keys as they moved out the door. The remainder of their things lay right out side the door, and Link couldn't hold back an exasperated laugh, "They either have no idea what they're doing, or they just aren't giving us enough credit." Sheik shrugged as they picked up their scattered gear. "Maybe a little of both."

Link rummaged in his pack, grateful at the apparent lack of experience of the guards on duty. He pulled out a bottle of red potion, eyeing Sheik's cuts and burns critically as he did so. Sheik accepted the potion with obvious gratitude, and Link smiled as he downed most of the red concoction. He finished it off, not needing as much as Sheik, and then they started off down the dark hallway.

As they ran, a tingling sensation reminded Link that the potion was working. Skin knitted back together and the throbbing in his head and wrists subsided. He took a quick moment to thank the goddesses for magic. They made their way up out of the dungeons, not a hard feat considering there weren't any guards around. The Hero of Time mused that this was the easiest dungeon he had ever had to escape from. They turned down another hallway, stopping as they heard a large group of footsteps.

Link saw the shadows around the corner just in time, and pulled Sheik against his chest, ducking into a shadowy alcove in the wall. A suit of armor shielded them from view as a troupe of soldiers clad in the same red garb from earlier walked past their position. As they passed, Link noticed the position he and Sheik were in due to his earlier haste. Sheik was pulled flush against him, his head resting against his collar bone, where the Sheikah was lightly clutching his tunic. Link's hands were placed lower on his torso, one on his lower back, the other alighted on his hip.

In the rush of the moment, he doubted Sheik would notice their position, and so he left his hands where they were. As the men marched past, talking and chortling to each other, Link realized another regiment must have been preparing to leave. He sighed, focusing on the sensation of the leaner body now pressed against him. If he proposed to Sheik, he could hold him like this all the time.

That was, if he accepted.

A voice from the depths of his subconscious mocked him; Sheik would have been able to think of a romantic way to propose. Then again, if he _was _Sheik, he wouldn't need to think of a way to propose to himself…

He stopped his mind there, treading a little to close to a thought pattern that would get him nowhere. Sheik shifted slightly in his arms, and his mind was ripped back into the present. He looked down to see the red eyes that were so cutting before looking up at him in soft wonder. Sheik grasped Link's tunic tighter as Link matched his stare, and then quickly looked away.

Link blinked, confused by the reaction as Sheik pulled away from him to inspect the hallway. His chest felt suddenly cold where the smaller man had just been standing. He was just readjusting his tunic as Sheik turned back to him, "They've all gone." Link nodded, following Sheik closely as they once again made their way down the stone corridor.

The rhythm of Sheik's barely audible footfalls on the floor beat out a steady rhythm as Link thought about the usually stoic warrior's reaction. He surely hadn't been angered at Link's actions, if anything he seemed almost _embarrassed. _Link's eyebrows scrunched in confusion; they had been in similar situations before, what was so different about this time? Sure his hands had been a little lower than usual, and he had probably looked into his eyes a little too long but…

Wait…

Link's gaze snapped back up to Sheik as they turned another corner, noticing a slight blush still staining the man's tan cheeks. And suddenly it hit him. He didn't have to think of a new way to propose to Sheik, he could just elaborate on his earlier plan! It seemed Sheik remembered what he had said better than he could have hoped. Link had looked into his eyes and avoided touching his shoulders subconsciously, having completely forgotten about the little speech he had given in his last attempt at romance due to the less than successful outcome. He was still surprised it affected Sheik so much… perhaps he had a chance after all?

Link smiled; his heart swelling ten times just at the thought of the man in front of him reciprocating his feelings. Warmth pooled in the pit of his stomach and spread throughout his veins, and he felt a sudden wave of courage course over him. The thought had never occurred to him that Sheik could love him back. He had always been so regal and composed; the thought of such a beautiful person loving him seemed absurd. Courage took the form of determination, and his mind was made up in that instant.

He would confess his feelings to Sheik. If the man didn't reciprocate his feelings, he would win him over one way or another.

His smile only widened as a plan began to formulate in his mind, feeling practically giddy as he plotted ways of wooing the red-eyed man in front of him. The two men turned one last corner and slid into the darkness, each with a different quest on their mind.


	4. Many Revelations

**AN**: I would just like to apologize for how long this took me. I'm afraid I found a hole in my plotline as I was writing the story, putting an effective halt on my progress -. I'm going to have a thank you and a little note to each of my reviewers down below, so look for your name! I'll try to be extra prompt when posting the next one to make up for lost time and thank you all for your patience!

**Special thanks to my reviewers of this story**: Oro-Sama Fhulhi the Crazy, HylianAlchemist13, mahoakitti, Soba-san, FlamingDoritos, ShadowCat17, Venks, Lauren, noperfect917, Irish Whirlwind, Lady of the Squirrels, Reality Obscured, number1-FanofYAOI, iced tears of blue fire, drace-hunter, Dannyu-chan, A, PerfectSoldier09, Soriku-video-gamer, Lil' Miss Spookiness, Gracie, iredlk, and Oh Em Gawd.

**To the reviewers of 'Fear For You'**: Yume Keki, nobody, noperfect917, Imbri of the Moon, Metal Chocobo, Mahoakitti, Venks, Mazoku85, MikaAnimeFreak, jean kitsune, Soriku-video-gamer, flaccid ego, Onigami Link, Devilish Child, and WhiteLightening.

**To the reviewers of 'A Little Push In the Right Direction'**: Abby, Co-Ro, HylianAlchemist13, Muraki-kun, Overlord Crazyjane XIII, majormisfit, Shadow of ZAFT, drace-hunter, Crown of Venus, Nananki, The LB, Phoenix Noir, Syciara-Lynx, ahou incarnate, Lex, Anjel Kitty, Aifos, Oro-sama, MyWonderfulOblivion, MikaAnimeFreak, YamiGoddess, Thetra, GalopaWXY, Shiro-Neko-Hanyou, Artistic18, Katie, Nuitari Aquarius, number1-FanofYAOI, Mazoku85, Soriku-video-gamer, mahoakitti, Ryukai-MJ, SpiritDragon-08, Librastar, iloveshiek21, WhiteLightning, .Battery., and Sa-kun. I tried to go back and fix all the grammatical and spelling errors, thanks!

**Special thanks to** mahoakitti and Soriku-video-gamer, who reviewed all three of my LinkXSheik stories!!! -. Thank you so much to ALL my reviewers, I'm sorry I haven't thanked you sooner. I'll try to send back individual review replies to them all once I get the chance, so be expecting an email from me! If for some reason you weren't mentioned, send me an email at and I'll mention you in the next chapter!

**Now for the sad news**: unfortunately, this story is reaching that crucial part where I've over thought the plot, and began to lose interest. I'm going to try to direct the story back away from the action, and back into what I REALLY wrote it for: the romance. It would be great support if you would all continue to review for this story and show how much you really care. You have no idea how happy I get when I read a review. A single good review could give me the motivation to keep writing even if I'm tired of the story. Fortunately, I'm not done with this one yet; hopefully the return to a romantic plot will help keep me interested. It will most likely end within another 3 chapters. Don't worry, I already have like…5 new ideas for stories of this pairing --.

Ok, enough rambling, on with the show!!!

Three Ways To Show You I Love You

Chapter 3

Sheik sighed quietly from their position behind yet another suit of armor. They had been running around the corridors for over an hour, and seeing as they had been forced to hide four times now, Sheik decided it was time to find another method of moving around the castle undetected. He tried to ignore the warm body of Link next to him as his mind formulated a plan.

Sheik tried desperately to force the blood from his face. Even with the cowl covering his cheeks, he knew the flush of his skin would show through the top. What would Link think if he saw him blushing after what happened earlier? He had already created one awkward moment between them, no need to go and lose_ all_ of the hero's trust.

He sighed; if he continued to act this way around Link, they would never complete this mission alive. As soon as he had looked up into Link's eyes his mind had gone blank. All he had been able to focus on was the ragged sound of his own breathing, the slight pulsing throughout his entire body as the blood flowed through his veins, and the icy blue eyes that seemed to physically freeze him where he stood.

He shook his head, no use getting lost in such thoughts at a time like this. As the familiar rows of warriors strode by, Sheik peaked out slightly from behind the suit's colossal iron elbow. The hallways had begun to all look the same after about fifteen minutes of searching, and the Sheikah came to a conclusion:

Yup, they were definitely lost.

Running around on the ground would no longer do them any good, and following the troops at a safe distance was nearly impossible since the red-clad men all proved to be rather clumsy. It irked Sheik to no end that their main impediment was the enemy's own stupidity. If only there was a way to follow them without being seen. Sheik cursed himself for the billionth time that day for not learning more concealment spells when he was younger. The only one he knew was a simple charm to help him blend into the foliage; the soldiers were stupid, but he doubted they wouldn't notice a bush following them.

His eyes scanned the length of the hallway; perhaps there was something Link could hookshot onto. He suppressed the urge to start ripping his hair out, as his search yielded nothing but stone walls. He did a double take as he noticed a square opening near the ceiling. As his ruby eyes scanned over the other walls, he noted that each wall had a similar square hole in the upper left-hand corner of each end corridor.

As soon as the last boot disappeared around the corner, Sheik was out in the corridor and mentally measuring the length of wall up to the opening. Link looked up towards the opening as well.

"How do we know it even leads somewhere?" Sheik looked back to Link, glad that the blood had finally retreated from his face.

"Castles in warm places like this often need air shafts built in the ceiling to channel the warm air upwards. It should lead to the upper levels, where I'm assuming the king's chambers are." Link nodded.

Sheik leapt towards the opposite wall, rebounding off of it to gain more vertical lift. His hands barely reached the edge of the shafts opening, but he managed to catch a hold and clambered up into the darkness. There wasn't much moving room, but he flipped himself around well enough to look back down to where Link stood.

The hero, realizing Sheik couldn't simply give him a hand up, pulled out his hookshot. The Sheikah nodded, staying slightly to the side as Link shot the hooked mechanism into the air. Sheik reached out, catching the chain in mid-air before it shot back down towards the hero. Link began to clamor up the wall, using the hookshot's retracting coils to help pull him up. Sheik anchored his feet on either side of the wall, pulling against the weight, but didn't need to hold on long as Link's familiar Kokkiri hat appeared over the edge.

They heard the familiar sound of oncoming footsteps, and the Sheikah realized he hadn't thought his position over very well as Link quickly clamored the rest of the way into the shaft. Sheik fought with all his might to keep the blood from rocketing up into his cheeks again as Link also noticed the placements of their bodies. Sheik's feet were still anchored on either side of the wall, his legs spread apart and around Link's waist. Sheik tried to hold in a moan as the hero shifted slightly, moving against him. The hero had pinned him onto his back in his haste, and their stomachs were now brushing against each other as well.

Neither moved, afraid the slight movement would catch the eye of someone passing below. Sheik mused that he probably wouldn't have been able to move anyway, seeing as his body was paralyzed from mortification. He chanced a glance up at Link, hoping against hope that the hero wasn't too annoyed at their situation. A solid fist of surprise punched him in the gut as Link's sculpted face appeared mere centimeters away from his. The same blue lightning from before froze him in place as he looked into the eyes of the Hero of Time.

His heartbeat began to race out of control, as it had been doing more often lately with every look Link sent his way. A small nagging voice at the back of his muddled brain was trying to tell him something, but his mind was too busy swimming in the pool of blue that was Link's eyes to pay it much mind.

"_If I can actually look them in the eye, it means I feel like I can trust them completely…"_

Sheik's eyes snapped open wider at the sudden memory, Link's voice flowing through his mind as clearly as when they were back in the castle courtyard. He gulped, realizing Link had been maintaining eye contact much more often lately. Hope soared in his chest, fluttering around his heart like the butterflies that so often inhabited his stomach. Did Link love him? Was he trying to tell him something? He felt overwhelmed with emotion as the hero's gaze remained unwavering.

After a moment, Sheik realized the hallway below was now quiet, and that the troops had probably passed a while ago. His mind snapped back to reality. He shook his head and pulled away from Link, trying not to look at the slightly hurt look on the hero's face. He began to climb up the small shaft as it spiraled upward; still trying to catch his breath from what had happened a few moments prior.

Link cursed under his breath. He knew he had seen the look of realization on Sheik's face before he looked away, and even though he was proud of the slight accomplishment, he hadn't wanted the moment to end. Link momentarily wondered if he had come on too strong; Sheik had seemed rather frazzled. He quickly disregarded the notion; if he wanted to express his feelings to Sheik, he had to be blunt and clear. He sighed.

Being a homosexual savior of the world was tough.

He spent the next few minutes admiring the Sheikah's toned rear as they crawled in the upward spiral of the small shaft. After a few moments, Sheik stopped, and Link guessed that they had reached the top. Sheik gave him the hand signal to wait, and then darted from the hole. Link stayed where he was, watching as Sheik ran down a small length of hallway, vaulting up onto a tall ledge. Link was again amazed at Sheik's athletic ability, knowing he would never be able to jump so high. The Sheikah warrior looked down both lengths of hallway, before signaling to Link that it was safe.

Link darted from the hole, running to where Sheik was offering his hand. As he jumped up, they heard footsteps coming their way yet again, but this time they were louder and approaching at a much faster rate. Link quickly braced his feet on the wall, scrambling up over the edge, and flattening himself to the side. As the troops rushed by, Link noticed the large guard from their cell running along with them, cradling his neck as he went. He winced; it seemed Sheik had bruised his windpipe. He doubted Sheik couldn't have snapped his neck if he so chose.

He could only imagine what other things such strong thighs could be used for.

They waited with bated breath as the last guard passed; if any of them had looked up more than a few inches, they would have noticed them. Link would be eternally grateful for how inadequately trained all the soldiers in the castle seemed to be.

"Seems like they finally realized we've escaped." Link nodded at the Sheikah's statement,

"Took them long enough."

Sheik smiled slightly from under his cowl, before motioning Link in the direction the soldiers had traveled. After a while of traveling along the precarious edge, dodging a few ornate pots on the way, they came to a mass oaken door. Judging by the size and placement of the door, as well as the guards in front of it, Link surmised that they had finally found the throne room.

He had just started analyzing the situation, contemplating how they could take out the guards, when a Deku nut was sent whizzing through the air towards the two stationary men. More Deku nuts followed, and by the time the flashes had passed, Sheik had somehow knocked out the stunned guards and bound them. Link sighed,

"You know, it would be nice if you told me the plan ahead of time."

Sheik smiled as he secured the complicated knots around one of the unfortunate men's ankles.

"What would be the fun in that?"

Link chuckled quietly, glad that they were back on joking terms with each other. Sheik moved over to the door, carefully looking in between the crack between the two oak slabs.

"Doesn't seem like anyone heard us."

Link hopped down from the ledge, joining Sheik by the door.

Just as he put his ear to the cold wooden surface, a group of soldiers suddenly rounded the corner. How they hadn't heard them Link would never know, but it seemed the small band of soldiers was just as surprised to see them. Both parties stood there dumbfounded for a few moments. The Hylian warriors, however, soon sprang into action, striking a good few blows before the opposing fighters even drew their weapons. As the red-clad warriors began to fight back, two broke off to run away down the hall. Sheik's chain whipped out and wrapped around the leg of the first, tripping him and sending him sprawling on the floor. His attempt to thwart the other proved useless however, as he was suddenly beaten back by a small group of soldiers.

For a moment, Link thought they would be able to beat them back, until the new wave of reinforcements flooded around the corner. He and Sheik were quickly overpowered, and his face made contact with the hard ground as they shoved him to the floor. His wrists were bound behind his back, and he heard Sheik grunt somewhere off to the side, signifying he was also receiving rough treatment. From the same side, a thumping could be heard that Link thought sounded oddly familiar…

"Well, well, what 'ave we here?" Link felt the hair on the back of his neck bristle as he recognized the raspy voice of the guard. His voice was drastically quieter, seeing as his windpipe had been nearly crushed. He hated that he couldn't see his enemy, and so he fought against the hand that was grinding his face into the ground. The soldier holding him grunted,

"Hold still!" But Link refused to back down. After a few moments of struggle, he wrestled his head free, turning to look over at Sheik.

The gigantic man stood looking at him, his attention caught by the small display of rebellion. He braced himself for an attack, his eyes hardening. The guard laughed,

"Don't you worry, I don't care about you," he turned his meaty face to Sheik, and Link felt himself bristle again. He walked towards the Sheikah, crouching down in front of him, and grabbed his sculpted chin between his sausage-like thumb and pointer finger. Link struggled against the guard that bound him.

Sheik looked upon the man with hatred, the fire shooting from his eyes nearly tangible. The guard just sneered,

"Let's see if you're so bold without your cute little mask on."

Link was enraged, noticing the hint of lust in the guard's eyes. He hadn't even gotten to see Sheik's face with his permission, and now this wretch was attempting to forcefully take off the cowl that all Sheikah held so sacred. Sheik began to double his efforts to escape, drawing away from the hand that reached for his cowl.

Just as the large fingers were wrapping around the edge of the cloth, the doors to the throne room were thrown open. An extravagantly dressed man swept through the doors, his red cloak billowing behind him as he viewed the scene in the hall.

"What is going on here?"

He questioned with an air of authority, sneering at the guard as he remained crouched in front of Sheik. The man, seeing the look, quickly got to his feet, giving Sheik one last menacing glare. Link noticed the soldier holding him stiffen as the man's gaze swept over the scene, the armor he was wearing suddenly making him seem much more intimidating. Link was surprised at the craftsmanship of the metal; it would be nearly impossible to find such finely crafted armor in Hyrule, even in the palace.

After a few moments, someone beyond Link's peripheral vision found to courage to speak.

"We've caught the escaped intruders sir; they were listening in on the conversation inside the throne room."

The piercing red gaze was turned onto Link, and the color and depth of the glare reminded him of Sheik for a split second. The man's eyes then switched to glare at Sheik, and Link noticed them widen in surprise for a split second. Red clashed with red in a sea of fire, before the armor-clad man looked away, turning and walking back towards the doors.

"Bring them in, the king wishes to speak to them."

The pressure on Link's back was finally relieved, and he was pulled jerkily to his feet. He was shoved towards the open doors before both of his feet even touched back upon the ground. He gazed around the hall as he was pushed forward, trying to map out his new surroundings and look for possible escape routes.

Red banners were hung on the walls, hammer and nail symbols adorning them. There were a fair amount of soldiers in the hall, all being suited up and arranged into ranks. It was an odd place to prepare a regiment of soldiers, and Link wondered at the kingdom's odd war strategies.

As they were pushed unceremoniously forward, all motion and noise in the hall stopped. A few soldiers stood nearby, eyeing the odd garb of the two intruders. Link bristled as he noticed a few giving Sheik undisguised looks of lust as the spandex-clad warrior walked ahead of him. He was shocked at how many men here seemed attracted to members of the same gender, and weren't subtle about it, if the looks they were sending his way were any indication.

They were brought before the king; a man clad in another extravagant red robe. Link again noted the oddly shaped hammer symbol on his garb. The king leaned over to speak to the armor-clad man from earlier, listening as he whispered something into his ear. The king's eyes turned to Sheik, not with lust thankfully, but Link decided he wasn't looking forward to what was to come. The man, who Link could only assume was the king's war general, sneered at them, flipping his long reddish-brown hair behind his shoulder as he resumed his place next to the king's throne. Link found this odd as well; normally seats by the throne were reserved for royal advisors, not war generals.

The king stood, with some difficulty seeing as he was a rather large man, and pinned the two Hylian warriors with a hard look. He stood there for a few moments, sizing them up, the soldiers beside Link and in the hall fidgeting nervously. Finally, he spoke,

"In all my years of reign upon this land we have never found ourselves in such a position. Hyrule and our nation have never once been at odds, why have you suddenly decided it necessary to act out against us?" Link and Sheik exchanged a look of slight surprise, and by the nod Sheik gave him, Link took his cue to answer,

"We find it rather hypocritical of you to place the blame upon our shoulders, when you have a regiment of soldiers marching towards Hyrule as we speak." Link noticed the scowl the war general sent his way, but disregarded it and trained his attention back on the king. He was surprised, however, to see the leader was just as confused as they were.

"We do not have any warriors traveling towards your lands, I would have known if such orders were given." And suddenly Link understood. As he locked gazes with the general, the man stood, his new stance and voice condescending,

"Sire, it is obvious they are lying to you. If orders to mobilize were given, you would have been informed immediately."

After the silence that ensued, he turned to the king,

"I assure you, no troops are out of place."

The king nodded, siding with his general. Link scowled, knowing the conversation was going nowhere fast. The king would never believe two complete strangers from another land over his own general. Sheik gave a small cough, and Link glanced over to him. Red met blue in the fiery dance he was so used to feeling whenever their eyes met, and with one look from Sheik, he understood.

Looking back to the king, he answered: "If you won't believe us, we will show you ourselves."

At that moment, Sheik snapped the ropes that bound his hands using the same spell as before, and Link crouched to the floor, kicking out at the feet of the closest men to him. As they crashed to the floor, both Hylian warriors back flipped away, Link with a little more difficulty seeing as his hands were still bound.

"When we get out of here, you're teaching me that acid thing." Link said as Sheik used one of his dirks to cut the ropes binding the hero's hands.

"Deal."

As Sheik vaulted over the heads of the soldiers in front of him, Link used his hookshot to catapult himself up and over the throne, landing right behind it. Both warriors landed with the point of their weapon pointed at the king's throat. All action in the hall stopped, the soldiers and king alike dumbstruck by the speed with which the two foreign warriors had just turned the battle in their favor. The general only took a few moments before he was back in his proper frame of mind.

"Soldiers! Fire!"

Any soldiers with ready arrows let loose a small barrage; a stupid move, seeing as a few arrows were also shot in the king's direction. Link rolled his eyes at the pathetic attack. The arrows were quickly dispersed as he unleashed Din's Fire just as the small barbs were in range. A single arrow escaped its fiery fate, only to be cut in half by Sheik's knife. The soldiers in the hall looked on in amazement, and the general suddenly turned on his men.

"You fools! You almost killed his majesty!" But Link was unconvinced; he doubted the man would have felt much remorse. From what the Hero of Time had seen, he was the only capable warrior to be found in Rael, and such an experienced warrior would never order a sudden attack and expect the accuracy to be anywhere near adequate. Link sneered at the man; it looked like this land had a Ganondorf of sorts as well.

"I wouldn't advise attacking us again." Link shouted above the small din that had arisen in the hall.

"Not if you want your King back alive. Your majesty," he made eye contact with the general as he said this,

"I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation. We were captured by one of your army encampments; about four days hike away from Hyrule. That was almost a day ago, we now only have two, maybe three days before they unleash an attack upon our land."

The king's eyes were wide, and sweat began to form on his brow. Apparently he hadn't expected to ever be in a captive situation.

"We need you to send a messenger, the fastest you have, to intercept the army and call them back. We don't want to start war with your country; we just want to save our own."

Sheik leaned over and whispered in his ear,

"Fear not, we will not harm you."

This seemed to cause the King to relax slightly, and some of his shaking stopped. Link didn't know why, but the king seemed to trust Sheik's word; that would prove useful later. Swallowing, the king nodded resolutely.

"We have horses, I will send a messenger."

Link nodded,

"We will need another horse, to follow him at a distance and make sure he follows through."

The soldiers in the hall exchanged glances, and the general looked livid.

"Do not follow us, he will be returned safely after this is all resolved."

He looked over to Sheik, who nodded back to him. They slowly began advancing towards the doors, Sheik's knife held steadily against the king's throat, but angled, Link noticed, so as not to draw blood unless the warrior willed it so. They had no intention of harming the man in any way, but Link and Sheik knew that the only way to resolve the issue was to show him the army moving towards Hyrule so he could see it himself.

Link had thought the men that had been lusting after them earlier would have changed their mind after seeing their eye candy attacking the king, but as they slowly advanced out of the hall, Link noticed even more men eyeing them than before. It was like an alternate dimension: badly trained soldiers, an inexperienced king, a traitorous war general, and what seemed to be half a population of gay soldiers.

Link would never understand the dynamics of this place.

As they were nearing the door, a few soldiers decided to try to hinder their progress. Link parried their inexperienced blows easily, knocking each one to the ground one by one. An arrow whistled through the air toward Sheik's face. He pulled a second dirk from beneath the bandages on his arm and blocked the arrow with his left hand. After a few moments, the attacks halted, no one left with the gall to oppose them.

Link motioned for one of the warriors to open the door, to which he obliged, blushing. As the doors were opened, the general let out an angry yell, and began a charge. Just as Link was bracing for the attack, the king's voice rang out with surprising volume,

"Amicus stop!"

The general stopped, though hesitantly, as if not quite sure the king's orders were worth obeying.

"There is nothing you can do in this situation, simply wait for my return. Do not make any moves against Hyrule; I want to resolve all of this."

Amicus, as he seemed to be named, looked livid, glaring at Link and Sheik in turn. His ruby gaze lingered on Sheik, and he seemed to shake with suppressed anger.

He didn't understand everyone's fascination with Sheik here, but Link didn't have time to figure it out before any other hindrances could block their way. He ushered them out of the hall. Link pulled the doors closed behind them, and as soon as the closing echo rang out, they were running down the stone halls, towards where the king indicated the stables were located.

In the end, they had to take two horses. Sitting on the first with the king, was Sheik. He was light enough to balance out the king's weight, not the mention the man seemed rather comfortable with the Sheikah. Link was on a second horse, leading the other steed by the reigns as they ran through the desert at full speed. They could barely see the messenger in the distance, staying a straight course and heading directly towards where they had originally seen the camp. The country may have been short in capable soldiers, but they were strong in integrity, Sheik noted. He almost felt guilty as he glanced back towards the king. Sheik was now sitting in front of him, shielding his eyes and face from the sand and relentless wind as they pelted them.

Link smiled at Sheik, and though he knew the hero couldn't see it, he knew the intuitive hero would sense the answering grin through his cowl. They had been running for a little over a day, and the king hadn't once complained, opting to sleep or talk to Sheik whenever he was willing to answer. Though he had originally thought the king to be naïve and cowardly, the Sheikah now knew that the man was a strong and capable leader. Peace loving, for sure, but Sheik mused that the world needed more leaders like him.

Sheik knew that they didn't have time to rest; they had to keep running until they overtook the army approaching Hyrule. However, that didn't mean the king had to suffer as well.

"Are you tired your majesty?" Link piped up, his words echoing Sheik's thoughts as though their minds were connected. The king seemed touched slightly by the concern. He was obviously tired, but whether due to wariness or courtesy, he shook his head.

"No, no, I'm fine. But thank you lad." His eyes crinkled slightly as he smiled. Sheik turned to look at the king,

"Feel free to rest on me if you need sleep your majesty." Again, the king seemed touched, and Sheik knew the man trusted them.

Turning back around, he noticed that the messenger had pulled a little ahead of them, and so he urged the horse onward, impressed by the beast's stamina. Neither of the horses was even breaking much of a sweat, showing just how trustworthy the king's word was. What a shame such a good man had chosen such a corrupt war general. The Sheikah had already figured everything out in his mind. Amicus, for whatever reason, seemed to have a personal vendetta against Hyrule, and was using his position to launch an attack without the king knowing.

It had almost worked.

He would have limited power now that the king was with Link and Sheik. If he made any moves, they would know about it, and act accordingly. Ironically, the king was safer with them in the long run. Link's calculations were cut short as the king's voice spoke up quietly,

"Hyrule has some fine warriors. I've never seen two men do so much damage on their own." He gave a slight chuckle.

"War has never been our strong point. You undoubtedly noticed our soldiers had no prior training." Both warriors nodded, glad they hadn't had to voice their own thoughts. He king nodded, chuckling good-naturedly.

"They do not normally have to fight. Our usual soldiers were sent to defend the mountain pass to the South. Amicus was the only one among them who stayed to help me manage the new recruits. They have been gone for several weeks..." he trailed off,

"And now this…"

Link gave a small bittersweet smile.

"Not a good month for Rael." The king chuckled darkly at thy Hylian warrior's remark.

"The last thing we need right now is a war with Hyrule; your land has been a close neighbor of ours as long as I could remember. They say our famous soldiers hailed from your land many decades ago." He looked forward to Sheik as he said this.

"You remind me of them greatly." Sheik knew Link wouldn't miss his eyes snapping towards the king as he said these words.

"How so?" He asked as nonchalantly as possible.

He knew it was juvenile to get his hopes up, just because the soldiers came from Hyrule and could be compared to him meant nothing. However, he couldn't shake the feeling of longing. No matter how close he and Link were he would always carry with him a sense of loneliness. So was the fate of the last surviving member of a dying race. There was always the wish to know those who came before him, to talk to someone like him, to share the burden.

"Aren't you of the Sheikah as well young man? Surely you would recognize one of your own in Amicus." This time, both warriors looked at the king in shock, their eyes no longer trained ahead of them.

Sheik felt as if a fist had buried itself into his gut. Its knuckles dug in underneath his ribcage, halting his breathing. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Sheikah? There were more? An entire army? Sheik didn't know what to feel at that particular moment, his mind numb with shock. He looked over to Link, hoping the Hero of Time would know how to react better than him. Link was looking at him, gauging his reaction. He knew he should smile, nod, anything to show some emotion. But all he felt at that moment was overwhelming shock.

Link looked forward once more, only to slowly pull his horse to a halt. Sheik looked forward as well, and suddenly all thoughts of the other Sheikah were pressed from his mind as they pulled to a stop in front of a mass of red cloaks and finely-crafted shields that was the army of Rael.


	5. Shocks and Surprises

AN: Ok, my deepest apologies for how long this took to post, as well as how short it is. Hopefully enough happens to pacify you all. I'll try to be much more prompt with the next installment -. If all goes well, there will be only two more chapters. Don't worry, the really fluffy moments are in the next one, and the ones that make the story M rated are in the last -. Thank you all for your reviews and support, they really mean a lot to me. I wasn't expecting to get many after the last post, but I was surprised by the amount I received. Hope you all enjoy woohoo!

The mass army of soldiers was an unexpected sight to the two Hylian warriors. Even with the fastest horses Rael had to offer, it should have taken them at least another day to reach where the army was advancing. The messenger rode ahead of them, talking to a man standing near the head of the party.

The King stared dumbstruck at all the men gearing up for war. Some sat in tents, putting on their vestments; others polished or sharpened their weapons.

"How could I not have known about this…?" He trailed off, unbelieving. Link decided duty overrode propriety, knowing he had to tell the king about his war general's schemes. He made eye contact with Sheik, who still seemed slightly in shock, and understandably so. He sighed.

"Amicus is betraying you. I don't know why he's doing it, but he tried to launch the attack without your knowledge." The king's bewildered gaze switched to Link.

"Amicus? Are you certain?" Link nodded resolutely. There was no concrete evidence, but he knew in his gut it was true, and he had learned to listen to what it told him over the past few years.

The king shook his head, as if unable to take in so much new information, and let out a sigh that only one with an entire country resting on his shoulders could muster. He raised his head as they heard approaching footsteps, and he looked up to see who appeared to be the head of the regiment heading towards them.

"Is it true you want us to recall our forces sir?" He asked; the incredulous tone in his voice poorly masked. It was obvious the orders seemed absurd to him. The king nodded, looking the man in the eyes with all the authority of the king of Rael, and the man withdrew slightly.

"Yes, all troops are to be withdrawn. I was not even aware that these troops had been deployed in the first place. We must pull back while we still can, before we start an unnecessary war with Hyrule." The soldiers eyes shifted to the Hylian warriors, undoubtedly suspecting some type of brainwashing, but upon see the look of absolute authority on the kings face, he simply nodded, and walked back to the front line. He began to call out orders to pack up, which the soldiers grudgingly obeyed. Obviously they had been anticipating a glorious battle.

Link surveyed the troops as they broke camp, some were giving him poorly disguised angry looks, others were simply grumbling amongst themselves. As his eyes scanned over the sea of red, a movement in his peripheral vision caught his eye. His head snapped in the direction they had come from, and his pulse quickened as he saw the dark line advancing over the horizon.

"We have company." Sheik and the king snapped their heads in the direction Link was looking, and the king gasped slightly as Amicus rode into view, clad in more finely-crafted armor and riding what appeared to be a rather weary horse. He must have ridden the beast ragged in order to catch up to them.

Following him were a few dozen soldiers. He probably would have brought more had the supply of horses not been so small. Amicus rode forward, barely sparing Link and Sheik a glance as he looked over the crowd of soldiers.

"Brothers! Our king has been manipulated by the magic these foreigners possess. He is being controlled by them right now, why else would be call you all away on the eve of battle?" The majority of the soldiers nodded in agreement, bloodlust beginning to seep into some of their eyes.

"We must overpower them, and save his majesty!" The crowd cheered, turning to the small party of three just outside the encampment. Amicus smiled, his red eyes glinting.

"Attack!" The masses of soldiers, whether prepared for battle or no, charged towards the three men. Link and Sheik tried to brace for the attack as best they could, knowing they couldn't run away given the current situation. Dropping from the horse while the Hylian's were distracted, the king walked calmly towards the advancing men. He breathed in a deep gulp of air, and called out so everyone in the crowd could hear him before the sound was swallowed up by the desert,

"STOP!" Though unsure of themselves, the soldiers slowed their movements. Disobeying a direct order from the king could be considered treason, and none of the men knew how to react to what appeared to be a brainwashed king.

"I am fine, it is you who is being deceived. Amicus, recall those men right now or face the consequences." Amicus looked livid, and he had a desperate spark in his eyes that Link greatly distrusted.

"Sir, you aren't in your proper frame of mind, if we don't attack Hyrule now, we may never get another chance." The king's brows furrowed.

"Good. I do not plan for us to ever begin a war with Hyrule. I don't know what possessed you to try to attack them in the first place."

That was when Amicus snapped.

"What about what they did to our people _Your Majesty_," he spat the title sarcastically; "they treated the Sheikah like slaves! They were forced to serve the royal family of Hyrule at the cost of their very own lives! Those of us whose parents were lucky enough to escape have not forgotten the wrongdoings committed there!" He fumed, sparks flying from his eyes. Those same cutting rubies turned on Sheik, who flinched back slightly as the intensity of the stare.

"And you! Fighting alongside a Hylian warrior, wearing the crest of Hyrule's royal family on your garb. Where is your sense of duty! Do you now know what they have done?" Sheik recoiled slightly.

"I've heard enough Amicus. Wars should never be waged on the basis of one man's personal vendettas. This young lad's sense of duty is not in question; he is a better Sheikah warrior than you could ever hope to be. Consider yourself permanently relieved of duty." He turned to the crowd, giving Amicus no more of his time.

"Pack up your-" The former war general let out an infuriated yell, charging at Sheik and jabbing up into the air with his saber. Sheik, still stunned from his words, was a little slower to react. Luckily for him, Link was ready, and blocked the swing that would have otherwise cleaved Sheik's shoulder. Still on the horse, Link kicked out at Amicus with his closest foot, the man reeling backwards as the toe of the boot connected with his jaw. The Hero of Time rarely fought dirty, but in this situation, he just wanted to get Sheik and the king clear of danger as soon as possible.

Recovering from the blow, Amicus rubbed his jaw, now charging at Link, who had by then dismounted. The Hero of Time expertly met the man blow for blow. As Amicus charged again, Link slammed his fist into the ground, the familiar sphere of Din's Fire surrounding him in a protective shell. Amicus roared in rage, thrown back by the sudden wave of heat. As he stumbled, Link took the opportunity to shove the butt of his sword into his stomach, throwing him off balance.

Amicus landed on the ground with the master sword at his throat, his weapon landing a few inches away. He looked up into Link's eyes; defeated. The king motioned for two men to take him away. As he was dragged off, Amicus spat in Link's face, little bits of sand clinging to the spittle as the wind blew it around. Link wiped off his cheek, his face clear of emotion as the previous war general was dragged away, screaming obscenities.

The king brought a hand up to his brow, rubbing his temples and heaving a great sigh. He turned to Sheik, looking suddenly tired.

"Forgive me; Amicus does not know what he is talking about." Sheik merely nodded. Neither the king nor Link was convinced that he wasn't affected. The king then turned to Link,

"I shall go with you to Hyrule; I'm assuming the Princess would wish to speak to me. I would like to get this all sorted out before rumors spread." Link nodded, getting back onto his horse. His eyes were on Sheik, judging his fellow warrior's expression. He had never seen Sheik so absorbed in his thoughts before, and knew he was thinking of the Sheikah. Link could only imagine what was going through the warriors head at that moment. The king barked out a few orders, placing a rather flustered-looking new general in charge before turning back around. And so Link set his eyes ahead of them, towards their destination of Hyrule.

Sheik's thoughts had been going a mile a minute, making the day-long ride back to Hyrule seem longer than it actually was. They would have made a camp to sleep for the night had they had the proper equipment, however, they traveled onward. It came as no surprise to Sheik, therefore, when the curtain of weariness he had been keeping at bay suddenly enfolded him as Hyrule castle came into view.

He felt tired, both from the physical strain from the trip, as well as the mental shock he had received. As they dismounted the horses, Sheik felt the slight resistance his muscles gave, and knew he would need to sleep soon. He just hoped Zelda didn't require their presence at the negotiations. As they entered the castle, the king walking between and a little behind them, he felt a steadying hand on his arm, and looked over to see Link smiling at him.

Sheik felt slightly dazed by the smile.

"Are you going to make it to the throne room Sheik?" Link joked.

Sheik smiled, knowing Link was trying to cheer him up. But all he could do was nod, knowing Link would see the smile beneath the cowl. Link kept his hand on Sheik's bicep until they reached the doors leading to the throne room, trying to lend a comforting hand. They entered to see princess Zelda sitting in the throne. She was leaned over, her head in her hands. As they approached, she looked up quickly.

"Link! Sheik!" Running from the throne, she embraced them both, apparently not caring that the king of Rael saw.

"I was so worried, you were gone so long." Link rolled his eyes toward Sheik.

"We were only gone for three days Zelda."

She pulled away, an arm still around each of their shoulders, and gave Link a suspicious look.

"So you mean to tell me nothing happened?"

Sheik knew that she had somehow already figured out they were captured, and so he opted to remain quiet. Link decided not to answer the question as well, both knowing that lying would be useless. He frowned as he noticed Zelda give Link that same questioning look she had before they had left. She sighed as Link gave her a small apologetic smile.

"Epona came back without you a while ago." Zelda explained. Link nodded; so that's how she figured it out.

He had wondered where Epona had run off to. He hadn't worried, knowing that she had escaped battles like that before. Sheik cleared his throat.

"Princess, the king of Rael is here to speak to you."

Zelda looked past him to the king, who was simply looking upon the scene with a warm smile on his face. She quickly let go of the two warriors, nodding her head to the other man in the room. The king nodded back to her, before his warm expression turned serious.

"I would like to apologize on behalf of my entire country. It seems my war general failed to consult me on a few of his battle strategies." Zelda nodded, gravely.

"I assume my warriors helped you take care of that matter?"

The king smiled again, looking to Link and Sheik in turn.

"Indeed they did. You have some fine soldiers at your disposal Zelda."

She beamed, as if he had complimented her directly. She seemed to finally notice how weary Sheik looked.

"Perhaps you two should go rest. You've had a long journey."

Sheik was about to protest, wanting to help with negotiations, when he felt a hand on his lower back. He felt Link begin to guide him towards the door, talking over his shoulder.

"Send someone to get us if you need anything your majesty."

She smiled slightly at the title as they left. As they exited, four guards slipped into the chamber to watch over the proceedings. Sheik turned to Link with a questioning glare. The Hero of Time simply smiled in return, making Sheik's insides explode in to tiny fluttering butterfly wings.

"Don't even try to pretend you aren't tired."

"I wasn't, but I wanted to be present at the negotiations." Link smiled at that, still guiding him down the hallways and up stairs.

"No you didn't, you just wanted to know more about the other Sheikah." Sheik's gaze snapped up to Link's face, only to see the hero smiling at him. He didn't even attempt to deny it, knowing Link would read him like an open book.

"They won't be discussing that for a while, and you need sleep." Sheik looked to the floor. He knew it was irrational, but he didn't want to sleep until he had learned everything he could about the other warriors. A new door had just opened up to him that he didn't even know existed, and he didn't want to miss his chance.

"I need to know…"Link looked up at the quiet statement, seeing the Sheikah's glossy eyes. The amount of emotion was shocking on the face of one with such a usually stoic disposition, and Link felt slightly awed by it. He knew what the Sheikah had been through; dozens of nights by a campfire on a life-threatening mission and only a single soul to talk to worked wonders to ease the Sheikah from his protective shell. Link had been told of his lonely childhood, the pain of never knowing a family, and the devastation of losing Impa, the one connection he had to his heritage and closest semblance of family.

It had amazed him how easily he could relate to Sheik, never knowing a family himself. The two warriors had bonded immediately, like two lost souls clinging onto anything they could. Neither had experienced family, and both had been thrust into battle with little experience and the weight of the world on their shoulders.

But Link couldn't even begin to fathom the things going through his close friend's mind at that moment. Sheik had been given a new opportunity to meet the family he never knew. True, they wouldn't be related by blood, but the clan would undoubtedly welcome one of their own with open arms.

Link's arm found it's way around Sheik's form, pulling the distracted man closer.

"I know, but you're about to keel over from exhaustion." Sheik reluctantly nodded, allowing himself to be steered towards his room. Link gently opened the door, smiling when Sheik almost ran into the doorframe from lack of attention. He sat Sheik down on the bed gently, tapping under his chin to make him look up.

"I'll come wake you if anything happens, but I doubt they will discuss the matter without you present. Get some rest until then." As Link began to leave, Sheik clung to his wrist. The Hero of Time looked down into soft ruby eyes questioningly.

"Stay with me for a while?" Link smiled in return, before sitting next to Sheik on the bed. He was pleasantly surprised when Sheik rested his head on his shoulder.

"Thank you." Link raised a questioning brow.

"For what?" Sheik shifted against him.

"Everything. You always know exactly what to do to make me feel better." The Sheikah sighed into Link's neck. Link smiled softly.

"Well, that's what family is for isn't it?" Sheik looked up at the statement, shock registering on his features.

"Family?"

Link just smiled. The Sheikah probably couldn't grasp the concept of non-related family. He looked so cute with that bewildered expression on his face. Link nodded, wrapping his arm around Sheik's waist, pulling him closer.

"Yup. Whether you like it or not, Zelda and I will always be your family."

Sheik's head rose from it's original position on the Hero of Time's shoulder, still giving him a confused look, and Link had to fight the urge not to laugh.

"Sheik, just because we aren't related by blood doesn't mean that we aren't family. Family is measured by the love shown to each other." At this, his hand reached up to stroke through the meager amount of hair showing through the Sheikah's cowl.

" Zelda loves you very much…" Sheik began to lean into the hand that was now stroking his face.

"And I love you...very much" Sheik's eyes snapped open, and widened as he noticed how close their faces had drawn together.

Link's left arm was around his waist, holding them together, and his right was still placed on Sheik's face, the backs of his fingers stroking his cheekbones. Link's mind registered what he was doing, and he saw the look of realization on his face reflected in Sheik's wide red eyes. What was he doing?! He had just told Sheik they were family and now he was coming on to him?! What kind of mixed signals were those?! Family didn't flirt with each other but…well some did but…ew! Wrong turn of thought!

Link quickly tried to backtrack, thinking of a way out of this position. Sheik's searching eyes were still gazing into his, realization gradually dawning in them. Link dropped his hand, pulling away slightly.

"So you know since we're family and all do you want me to tell you a bedtime story or something?" Sheik playfully punched Link's arm, causing him to unwrap it from around his waist. Sheik's eyes gained a mischievous gleam, and he climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to his chest.

"Sure, what story are you going to tell me?"

Link balked. He hadn't actually expected Sheik to play along. He didn't know any good bedtime stories, let alone how to even tell one well.

"Uh sure…which one did you want to hear?" Sheik raised an eyebrow at him.

"What, you offered to tell me a story and you didn't even have one in mind?" Link scratched his head, thinking Sheik was enjoying watching him squirm a little too much.

"Yeah basically." Sheik rested his head on his arms, scrutinizing the Hero of Time still sitting on the edge of the bed. Link wondered how uncomfortable it had to be to sleep in all that Sheikah garb, despite how sexy it looked on him.

"Well then, you can just tell me what you and Zelda know about that I don't." Link's eyes flew open, looking over to Sheik's mischievous ones. He had planned that whole thing out! Link would never understand how the Sheikah was so good at that.

"Uh...what?" He flinched internally, knowing playing dumb would never work on Sheik. He honestly couldn't think of a way out of this one.

"You and Zelda have been sending each other strange glances for days now. I want to know what they're about and why I can't know about it." The Sheikah said bluntly. Link knew he was cornered. His mind briefly wondered why he was even hesitating to tell Sheik in the first place. What was stopping him? He already tried once before. He got his answer when he looked into the Sheikah's questioning yet exhausted eyes. They had just retuned home from a grueling journey, in which Sheik had discovered a life-changing piece of information, and Sheik was fighting just to stay awake.

He could only think of a handful of less romantic situations.

He sighed, knowing he had to give Sheik a pacifying answer, while telling him absolutely nothing at the same time.

"There's nothing we would keep from you Sheik. I do plan on telling you soon." Sheik's brow lifted, the playfulness from before now gone.

"How soon?" The slightly hurt look on Sheik's face caused a pang of quilt to sear through him. Link reached for his hand, seeking the familiar feeling of weather-beaten wrapping on his skin.

" As soon as I muster us the courage to tell you." He hoped the gentle smile on his face was reassuring. Though he doubted it by the look of worry on Sheik's face.

"Is it bad news? Is everything alright?" Link chuckled, his calloused thumb rubbing circles on Sheik's hand.

"I hope it's good news. You just have to trust that I'll tell you when I'm ready to ok? Don't over think it." Sheik nodded, still obviously curious, but pacified for the moment. Link felt his frame sag in relief.

"Now try to get some sleep, I'll wake you if anything interesting happens." The Hero of Time almost didn't even notice when he leaned over and kissed Sheik on the only exposed part of his forehead he could find, his lips lingering for a moment. He quickly stood up from the bed, and walked from the room, Sheik's shocked expression going unnoticed as the door swung shut.

Link quickly made his way back to the throne room. He was exhausted himself, but he intended to keep his promise to Sheik. He would listen closely to see if anything about the Sheikah came up. As he entered the room, Zelda and the King of Rael were overlooking a map. Zelda glanced up at his approach, smiling at the knowledge of where he had been. Link smiled back, before looking down at the map on the table. Zelda's voice chimed in to explain what was going on.

"Tiberus was just explaining his predicament to us." Link's eyebrows shot up, realizing they hadn't even gathered the king's name in their haste. Zelda's slender finger pointed to a mountain pass on the map located just to the South of Rael.

"Apparently Rael is being attacked from this mountain pass, the descriptions given by the general in his initial report matched those of stalfos and lizardfos. From what I gather, the attack started just a few days before Amicus tried to launch an attack on Hyrule." Link looked to King Tiberus.

"That is where the Sheikah are fighting?" Tiberus nodded, and judging by the lack of surprise on Zelda's face, she had already been informed of the new turn of events.

"Our guess is that Amicus saw an opportunity to attack Hyrule while our other Sheikah were occupied. He is one of the only few among them who still harbor a grudge against Hyrule. The others would not have approved of the action, especially under the circumstances." Tiberus explained. Link nodded, making sure to remember everything to tell Sheik later. Zelda looked to Link, her expression serious.

"From what Tiberus tells me, the Sheikah reported back four days before you arrived. The fight was progressing slowly. The general estimated it would take only a few days to clear out the enemy army. However, he hadn't heard back from the general since." Link could only guess what this information meant. Zelda continued on.

"He believes the war is still going on, and has requested our help." Link looked over to Tiberus, who suddenly appeared very haggard to his eyes. The Hero of Time could only imagine what the King had been through the past few days. Tiberus attempted a smile.

"I have heard of you're great feats, how the Hero of Time single-handedly drove the evil from Hyrule." Link shifted uncomfortably at the King's admiring stare.

" I didn't do it single-handedly. Sheik was as responsible as I was."

Tiberus smiled fondly at him.

"Ah yes, the young Sheikah boy. You two make a fine pair." Link blushed at the words, secretly pleased. The red on his cheeks was caused more from the statements double-meaning than how the king had meant them.

"Would you please aid Rael in our time of need? I understand we hardly give you reason to trust us, but we have never found ourselves in a more desperate situation."

Link looked to Zelda. He was prepared to offer a hand, but only with her permission. She smiled, and turned to the King of Rael.

"Well then, we shall go to war."

Sheik sat in bed, eyes wide and unmoving. His forehead still burned pleasantly where Link's soft lips had touched his skin. In that instant, everything Link had done seemed to make sense, if he wasn't being completely egocentric. Sheik suddenly recalled all the times Link had touched him the past few days. On the hip, the bicep, the waist, but never the shoulder. The Hero of Time had also been staring into his eyes much more intensely, and rather often. The Sheikah had begun to wonder why he was beginning to feel so nervous around Link, and now he knew why: Link had been staring at him every chance he got.

And just a moment ago, when Link had held him, Sheik had glimpsed the look in his eyes. It was only for a moment, but in that look, Sheik saw all the longing he saw in his own eyes every time he looked into a mirror. The same longing he felt when he looked into Link's immaculate face.

And the secret Link was going to tell him…could it be? Could Link really love him?

Sheik looked to the door, where the man he so desperately loved had disappeared just moments before.

If he suspicions were correct, why hadn't Link told him just now?

The thought of Link loving him back was overwhelming, and his brain finally decided it had had enough shocks for one day.

With a happy sigh escaping his throat, Sheik fell asleep with thoughts of red and blue necklaces in his mind, butterflies in his stomach, and Link's name on his lips.

"We accept your offer of friendship and will aid you in any way we can. We simply need to draw up a binding treaty, and let the warriors rest for a night." Offered the princess.

The king smiled at Zelda.

"Very well then. We shall embark in the morning. As for a treaty, I find that marriage is a most binding agreement."

Zelda and The Hero of Time were shocked. Link looked to Zelda. Surely Tiberus wasn't asking for her hand in marriage? The King then turned to Link.

"As an offering of peace, as well as a token of thanks, I offer you my daughter's hand in marriage."


End file.
